The Great Bikini Bottom Earthquake
by sbartist357
Summary: It was just a normal day in Bikini Bottom: annoy Squidward, cook Krabby Patties, and head home. But the next morning, things took an unexpected turn. Would SpongeBob and the rest of Bikini Bottom survive their first-ever earthquake? Read to find out!
1. Decisions That Lead to Consequences

**Hello, out there! Here is my next SpongeBob story! I got this idea from someone I know at school (thanks, person; you know who you are)! Anyways, I finally came up with a plot (kind of) and here it is! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I would so be putting this on TV if I owned this lovable little sponge... ;)**

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In the undersea town of Bikini Bottom, everybody was making their usual rounds. At the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob was having a one-sided conversation with Squidward. SpongeBob sighed happily.

"Isn't it a lovely day?" Squidward turned the page of his Fancy Living Digest, ignoring him.

"Isn't it, Squidward? Huh? Squidward? Right? Yeah? Isn't it-" Squidward threw his magazine down and pinched SpongeBob's lips.

"SpongeBob, don't ask me if it's a beautiful day, because any day you come into my life, it's a miserable one!" SpongeBob, oblivious to his insult, laughed.

"That's a good one, Squidward!" The squid responded with an annoyed "Grr..." and went back to reading.

To SpongeBob's disappointment, the shift ended before he knew it, and he and Squidward started walking home. As he was about to enter his pineapple, SpongeBob glanced at his best buddy's rock.

_"Hmm... Maybe I should say goodnight to Patrick?" _SpongeBob thought. _"Or better yet, invite him to a sleepover!"_ He was going to walk over when he got second thoughts.

_"Nah, he's probably asleep already!"_ Without another thought, he went inside, unaware that he had made a terrible mistake.

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**SpongeBob made a mistake?! What was it?! What's going to happen?! Calm down, your questions will be answered soon. :) I've posted the next chapter already, so please continue reading! Oh, and remember, you can review at any time (no flames, please; we don't want to burn our favorite undersea sponge now, do we)? ;)**


	2. The Earthquake Hits

**Hello, again, readers! I'm flattered that you have deemed my story worthy of reading! Please, don't let me distract you; keep reading! This chapter is longer and more interesting!**

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SpongeBob woke up, startled. However, it wasn't due to his alarm clock. It was actually because of a tremendous, rumbling noise. Thinking that it was simply thunder, SpongeBob walked over to his bedroom window. There wasn't a storm cloud in the sky; just the various flower-shaped ones. Suddenly, the entire pineapple shook violently. He could hear things falling over downstairs. SpongeBob grabbed Gary, who was peeking out of his shell nervously, and walked down the staircase. Much to his surprise, his living room was okay; the only items knocked over were a few pots and pans in the kitchen. The sponge put Gary down and turned on the TV.

"Maybe the news will shed light on what's going on," he said to his snail. The news channel had the explanation he wanted. A picture of Bikini Bottom in ruins appeared on the screen for a second, then shrunk back to the upper left corner. Then, the realistic fish head started to speak:

_"Attention, Bikini Bottomites! Breaking news: A massive earthquake is currently hitting Bikini Bottom! Apparantly the disturbance is being caused by a nearby convergent boundary. The shaking is expected to continue for several more minutes. We recommend that you stay in your homes until the rumbling stops. This news station will keep you posted on the latest-" _SpongeBob turned the television off.

"Oh my gosh, Gary! It's an earthquake! I hope everyone is okay..." He pulled Gary close to him, and waited.

_**Meanwhile...**_

Squidward woke up the same way SpongeBob had. He watched the news too and, finding out it was an earthquake, celebrated.

"Yay! Do you know what this means, Clarie?" His clarinet just sat on his night table (because what else could it do?).

"It means that I don't have to go to work today! WOO-HOO!" Squidward leaped for joy and ran over to his stereo system in the living room. He played tecno music (from his performance in the Krusty Krab talent show), and did some interpretive dance moves.

_**Back at SpongeBob's Pineapple...**_

The shaking grew more intense. SpongeBob held Gary tighter as pictures and other objects crashed to the floor.

"Hang on, Gary!" SpongeBob shouted over the noise. The pineapple began creaking and twisting as the foundation of the house vibrated. After what seemed like an eternity, the shaking stopped. Everything was still.

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**Well, at least Squidward took the news of the earthquake pretty well. :) Oh, if you are wondering what a convergent boundary is, I'll briefly explain. Ever heard of tectonic plates? Well, a convergent boundary is where two plates meet, and one goes under the other. They can cause earthquakes. I learned that from Earth Science class. Anyways, review, write, or socialize! Let me know how good the story is!**


	3. Consequences Revealed

**Another short chapter (sorry)! I figured that this was a great place to stop. Don't know what I'm talking about? I know; just read the chapter first! :)**

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SpongeBob was still clinging on to his pet mollusk.

"Meeeooow..." The snail croaked.

"Oh, sorry Gare-Bear," SpongeBob released Gary from his iron grip. "I didn't notice I was choking you." He looked around the room, shocked.

Everything was in disarray. Glass littered the floor. In the kitchen, plates, cups, bowles, and silverware were strewn about. He decided to take a look outside. He told Gary to stay put while he investigated. Fortunately, SpongeBob's house suffered little damage. There were a few minor cracks in the wall and some of the windows were shattered, but otherwise the pineapple was fine. He turned his attention to his neighbors' homes. Squidward's Easter Island head appeared to be okay too, besides the fact that it was tilting to one side, and Patrick's was-

SpongeBob gasped. Patrick's house took the most damage. Instead of covering the starfish's home, it was slanted downward and sticking _out_ of it. The rock itself had collapsed. SpongeBob ran over to check and see if his friend was alright. What he found brought him to his knees.

Among the rubble, he could see Patrick, pinned under the massive rock, unconscious.

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**NOOOOO! WHY?! I told you that it was a good place to stop! Pretty dramatic, huh? I promise the next chapter is longer! And Patrick: Don't move! ;)**


	4. Patrick is Out of Orderlies

**See? I told you I'd keep my promise! I hope you guys weren't freaking out too much about what happened to Patrick! ;) Don't worry, you get to find out how he's doing in this chapter.**

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SpongeBob was at the Bikini Bottom Hospital. Patrick was admitted 20 minutes ago, and SpongeBob was getting restless. Finally, a nurse came over to him.

"Mr. SquarePants?" The nurse asked politely.

"Yes?" SpongeBob said.

"Patrick wants to see you. Follow me." She ushered him to a small hallway. However, she didn't lead him directly to the door; she stayed behind and pointed to it.

_"Hmm... that's strange,"_ he thought. _"Why didn't she come to the room with me? I don't see what the deal is-"_ He pushed the door open to see utter chaos.

Patrick was standing in the middle of the room with a remote in his hand. On the bed was a hospital orderly in restraints.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" The fish yelled furiously. Patrick smirked.

"Ok, if you answer this question right, I'll let you go." He placed his finger on a big, red button. "I've got one: I'm thinking of a number between one and one hundred. What is it?" The prisoner tried to think.

"Umm... 62?"

"WRONG!" Patrick pushed the button on the remote. The hospital bed the fish was on made a _"Wrrr..."_ sound as it folded completely in half and then went back to normal.

"Oww..." The fish groaned in pain. Just then, two more orderlies barged in from an adjacent room.

"AHHHH!" Patrick threw the bed remote at the guards. It hit one of them and knocked him out.

"PATRICK! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" SpongeBob shouted.

"I'M RUNNING!" Patrick responded. The second guard was close on his heels. He tackled him to the ground and pulled out his stethoscope. He slowly brought the sinister device to Patrick's chest. _"Pssshhh..."_

"NOOOOO! HE TOUCHED ME WITH THE STETHOSCOPE! AHHHHH!" He threw the security fish off of him and started running around again. This time SpongeBob tackled him.

"Calm down, Patrick! They're only trying to help you!" Patrick looked at him, terror in his eyes.

"But...what about the old magazines, and the-" He leaned close to SpongeBob's ear. "-the stethoscope?" The sponge laughed.

"Oh, come on, Pat! Don't you remember when I had the suds? They didn't do anything like that!" Patrick stared at him blankly for a second, then replied, "Oh, yeah, you're right."

"Now, how about you let the fish go and just relax?" The pink starfish stood up and crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Aww, don't be like that," SpongeBob pleaded. "If you behave, they might give you a giant lollipop!" Patrick's eyes widened. He remembered the one they gave SpongeBob when he first went to the doctor; he didn't want to miss his chance of getting one, too.

"Fine." He walked over to the bed and took off the restraining belts. The hospital orderly grimaced at Patrick as he got up and left the room. SpongeBob straightened everything up and tucked Patrick in.

"Well, Patrick, I'll let you rest." He headed to the door.

"See you, SpongeBob!" Patrick called after him. He fell back to sleep, not noticing the guard was still lying on the floor, knocked out.

**_Outside Patrick's Hospital Room..._**

SpongeBob ran into the head doctor. He seemed upset for some reason. SpongeBob decided to ask him why.

"What's wrong, Doctor? It's not about Patrick is it?" The doctor stared at SpongeBob wearily.

"I'm afraid it is," He paused for dramatic effect. "He needs to be... released." He stood there as the yellow sponge started crying.

"But, he looked just fine a few seconds ago," he sobbed. The physician understood what he meant and got annoyed.

"I don't mean he's going to die, I mean he has to be forcefully removed from the premises!" SpongeBob stood there, confused.

"Why?"

"Because he has been unruly and insane! You must have seen some of that when you went to visit him, right?" The physician crossed his arms.

"Well, yeah..." SpongeBob replied, staring at the ground.

"And there's only one person who could do it! Oh, Hans..." Out of nowhere, a giant hand with a long, dark sleeve came up behind them. "Escort 'Doctor Patrick' out of here, won't you?" The hand made a thumbs-up sign and went in.

_**Inside Patrick's Room...**_

Patrick was still sleeping when the huge hand came in. He woke up because of the noise and looked at it.

"AHHHHH! HANS!" Patrick zoomed out of the bed and hid behind a dresser. The hand simply pushed it aside and grabbed him. Patrick bit his finger.

"Ouch!" Hans said, letting go. Patrick laughed.

"You're not going to stick me on a cactus and shove me into a toilet again!" He shouted boldly. He was about to run out the door when Hans finally caught him.

**_Back in the Hallway.._**_**.**_

SpongeBob watched as Hans carried Patrick to the exit. The doctor smiled.

"Ahh, that's more like it!" He pulled out a hankerchief and wiped his forehead. SpongeBob tapped him on the shoulder. He glared at him; he didn't want to talk to the "annoying" yellow sponge anymore.

"What do you want, now?" He asked, trying to maintain his cool.

"Umm, I know you kicked him out for bad behavior and all, but could you at least give him a giant lollipop?" A few seconds later, SpongeBob was kicked out of the hospital too, and he and Patrick started to head home.

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**Yay! Patrick's okay! :) Of course I wasn't going to kill him off or something; that would be so mean! And, if I did that, everything would get so depressing! :( Sorry if you didn't get some of the SpongeBob references; they came from the episodes "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy III" and "Suds." Anyhow, hope you loved this chapter! Review, favorite, follow, bookmark; do what you have to do!**


	5. After Shakes

**Sorry about the wait! I had writer's block! Anyways, this chapter is on the short side because it has a cliff-hanger (sorry about that, too)! :)**

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As they were walking home, SpongeBob noticed Patrick crying.

"What's wrong, Pat?" He asked, putting a hand on his back.

"I didn't get a giant lollipop!" Patrick wailed. SpongeBob thought of an idea to cheer him up.

"I know! How about I buy you a Krabby Patty?" Patrick nodded. At the mention of Krabby Patties, SpongeBob gasped.

"Oh, my! Today's Thursday! I'm late for work! Come on!" They ran as fast as they could to the Krusty Krab.

_**As They Were Running...**_

The French narrator showed a clip of Bikini Bottom and said, "In Bikini Bottom, there are those who like to help their fellow creature during natural disasters, and then there are those (he showed the Krusty Krab) who take advantage of the situation!"

_**Back to the Story...**_

SpongeBob and Patrick made it to the Krusty Krab. Fortunately, the building itself wasn't damaged at all. Even though SpongeBob was a few hours late for work, Mr. Krabs didn't seem angry at all; in fact, he looked thrilled.

"Ahoy, SpongeBob and Patrick," He greeted them. "What do you think?" He pointed to a banner that was hanging above the restaurant.

"'During an Earthquake, Grab the Brand-New Krabby Shake! Exclusively at the Krusty Krab.'" SpongeBob read the sign aloud. Patrick drooled, unable to read it.

"Umm... Mr. Krabs, are you sure people are going to come for this? I mean, an earthquake just hit this morning." He asked, confused. Mr. Krabs smiled.

"I've already thought about that. Mr. Squidward! Front and center, please!" Squidward slowly came outside wearing a brand-new Krabby Shake costume. "So, how do you like it, me boy? It's going to make me a lot of money!"

"But, how is Squidward dressed in a Krabby Shake costume going to attract customers?" SpongeBob inquired.

"Well, we came up with a little something. Mr. Squidward, dance!" Mr. Krabs ordered. Squidward, who was trying to sneak back inside, protested.

"Mr. Krabs, if you think I'm going to dance in this ridiculous get-up, you're insane!" Mr. Krabs chuckled.

"Right you are! Now, dance or you're fired!" He warned. Squidward groaned.

"Fine." He started swinging his arms up and down (a.k.a. the monkey dance) with a bored expression on his face. Passers by giggled when they saw him. Even SpongeBob and Patrick couldn't help but laugh. Squidward got annoyed (like he usually does) and stormed back into the restaurant.

Miraculously, the dance worked, and soon the Krusty Krab was packed with paying customers. Mr. Krabs was overcome with joy.

"It worked! Come on, boys, let's celebrate with Krabby Patties!"

"Let's not forget the new Krabby Shakes!" SpongeBob added. The three of them entered the Krusty Krab, not knowing that Plankton had seen the whole thing.

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**What is Plankton doing? Is he going to try and steal the Krabby Patty Formula again? Will he try to take advantage of the situation, too? I'll answer these important questions in the next chapter! Don't forget to review and favorite the story if you like it! :)**


	6. Plankton's Plan

**Sorry, guys! I kind of had some writer's block, but that's gone now. Super special thanks to The Imaginative Me (now known as Krystella Saranella) for helping me out! I'm really sorry that this is yet another short chapter, but once again, it was because this was the perfect place to stop! Hope you like it! :)**

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Plankton stood there for a while, anger and frustration building up inside him. Finally, he burst.

"AHHH! Even when an earthquake hits, that skin-flint Krabs still manages to find a way to get more money and customers!" He stomped back inside to his laboratory where Karen, his computer wife, was waiting for him. She immediately detected his bitter mood and sighed.

"Oh, boy. Plankton, don't tell me you're upset about Mr. Krabs's success again." Plankton glared at her.

"Well, I'm telling you, anyway. Yes, I am upset about his success again. That stupid Krabs always gets everything! Even his restaurant was untouched from the disturbance this morning! Oh, how I would love to change that..." He slumped and sat on his mattress (which was way too big for him). Karen thought of a plan.

"Honey, what if you could invent a device that could trigger an earthquake at the Krusty Krab? You could use it to threaten Mr. Krabs into giving you the formula!" Plankton glanced up, excited.

"Karen! I've got it! I'll invent a remote control that can trigger a severe earthquake just at the Krusty Krab! Then all I have to do is use it to threaten Mr. Krabs! Man, I'm good!" His computer wife only groaned.

He instantly got to work. After repairing and modifying the Chum Bucket, he drew the blueprints for The Earthquake Generator 2000. Within two days, his newest instrument of destruction was finished. It resembled an ordinary remote, except it only had one button with the word "DOOM" written on it. Plankton was proud of himself.

"YES! IT IS COMPLETE!" He shouted evilly. "MR. KRABS, PREPARE TO HAND THE FPORMULA TO ME ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

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**Oh, no! What's going to happen to the Krusty Krab? Will Plankton's plan work? You get to find out in the next chapter! Don't forget to review and favorite the story! SpongeBob and the rest of the gang are counting on you! ;)**


	7. Plankton's Fist-o-Pain

**Okay, people! We're coming to the climax of my little tale (well, not little, but you know what I mean). Thanks again to Krystella Saranella for the idea! :D Okay, here you go!**

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Back at the Krusty Krab, everybody was enjoying their patties and Krabby Shakes. That is, everyone except Squidward, who was snoring in his cashier boat. SpongeBob was eating a Krabby Patty with Patrick.

"So, Patrick? Isn't this better than a giant lollipop?" Patrick stopped devouring his Krabby Patty for a moment.

"Yeah! And this new Shabby Krake is delicious!" He talked with his mouth full, causing bits of food to fall onto SpongeBob's patty. He put his sandwich down and pushed the plate away from him, disgusted.

"Don't you mean Krabby Shake?" He corrected him.

"Oh, right." More pieces of meat flew out of Patrick's mouth, this time hitting SpongeBob's face. SpongeBob tried to stay calm.

"Excuse me, Patrick. I'll be right back!" He casually walked to the bathroom. Once the door shut behind him, he quickly ran to the sink and washed his face, using up all of the soap in one of the dispensers.

"Get it off me! Eww, gross!" He scrubbed his face thoroughly to make sure the food was completely gone. After a brief moment, he regained his composure and went back to the table. Patrick had already finished his meal.

"Well, I guess I'll go home and repair my rock. See you later, pal!" Patrick walked to the front doors and paused.

"Uhh... SpongeBob?" SpongeBob looked up from cleaning the table.

"What is it, Patrick?" He asked.

"I didn't know you guys were renovating the Krusty Krab." SpongeBob stared at him, puzzled.

"Renovating? But Patrick, we're not renovating."

"Then what's that outside?" He pointed to something in front of the restaurant. SpongeBob followed his gaze and gasped.

It was Plankton. He was driving a huge crane with a wrecking ball attached to the end. The ball itself was actually the fist from the handle of The Chum Bucket. He came closer and closer to the entrance. The rest of the customers stared at Plankton's machine out of curiosity and returned their attention to their meals. Squidward stayed sleeping at his post. Suddenly, Plankton came to a stop just feet away from the double doors. He pulled out a megaphone and turned it on.

"Mr. Krabs! I want to have a word with you!" Mr. Krabs came out of his office. He took one look at Plankton's contraption and laughed. He decided to annoy him.

"Ah, Plankton! You came to buy a Krabby Shake, eh?" Plankton frowned.

"No, you idiot! I came to steal the Krabby Patty Formula! Why else would I be here?" Mr. Krabs pretended to think about it a moment.

"To buy a Krabby Shake?"

"Ugh!" Plankton slapped his face in annoyance. He continued.

"Look, Krabs! Either you hand over the formula, or you and your restaurant are going down!" Mr. Krabs chuckled.

"Oh, yeah? I'd like to see you try!"

"Ok, Krabs! I warned you!" He pounded the "DOOM" button with his fist and smiled as the Earthquake Generator 2000 roared to life. The fist from The Chum Bucket slammed the ground repeatedly, causing the entire Krusty Krab to shake.

"AHH!" Mr. Krabs ducked under a nearby table as pieces of the ceiling fell down. The customers, along with SpongeBob and Patrick, followed suit. Squidward woke up from the noise and dived underneath the cash register.

"Captain, what do we do?" SpongeBob cried out over the racket.

"Hang on, lad!" Mr. Krabs gripped the table for dear life.

"GIVE ME THE FORMULA!" Plankton commanded.

"NEVER!" Mr. Krabs clung to the pole, staying firm.

"WELL, YOU ASKED FOR IT!" He switched a lever on the crane to "Maximum Overdrive." The fist pounded the ground even harder and faster. The Krusty Krab's occupants screamed as they heard the clatter of cooking utensils and supplies hit the floor.

"HA-HA! GOODBYE KRABS, AND HELLO FORMULA!" The ground began to give way. Plankton continued to laugh, believing the whole restaurant would soon be underground. All of a sudden, both he and his contraption sank. As he went below the surface, he yelled in fury.

"CURSE YOU, KRABS!" He soon found himself in a cavern similar to the one he used for The Chum Caverns. Just as he thought that things couldn't get any worse, he heard a frightening sound. A bunch of fuzzy, orange creatures surrounded him. He recognized them instantly.

"Cave-dwellers? NOOOOO!"

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**Take that, Plankton! Another job not-well-done for the single-celled "genius." I hope you all got a good laugh out of this chapter. XD The next chapter will explain the conditions of the Krusty Krab and everybody inside. As always, review, favorite, and follow. Even when this tale is years old, review anyway! I'll still read them (I promise)! :)**


	8. A Hole in One

**Here is the final chapter of my story (don't cry, people)! ;) It's just to wrap things up and tie some loose ends. Now that I said that, please continue reading!**

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SpongeBob slowly opened his eyes. He had shut them when Plankton set his machine to "Maximum Overdrive." He turned to see Mr. Krabs kissing his money. He obviously didn't know that the assault was over yet.

"It's okay, money. Daddy's here," he murmured. SpongeBob stood up and observed the damage. There were several gaping holes in the roof, but other than that it was simply a matter of cleaning everything up.

"Mr. Krabs, I think it's safe to come out now." SpongeBob said. His boss, not hearing him, snuggled his money some more.

"Uhh... Mr. Krabs? MR. KRABS!"

"What?" The crustacean pocketed his precious dollars and stared at SpongeBob.

"I said it's safe to get up now. Look! We're still above ground and Plankton's gone!" The customers, along with Patrick and Squidward, confirmed his claims and cheered. SpongeBob went over to his co-worker.

"So, Squidward! I'm glad to see you're happy! Any particular reason why?" The squid gave him his usual annoyed expression and answered.

"If you must know, I'm happy because we're still at ground level. If the entire restaurant sank, that would mean I'd be trapped in here with you!"

"Aww, come on, Squidward! That wouldn't be so bad, would it?" He walked away, not noticing the cashier's frown.

"Hey, what's that outside?" Patrick asked.

_"Oh, not again..."_ SpongeBob thought. Patrick exited through the front doors, and Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob followed. Outside, they discovered a crater where Plankton and his machine had been a few minutes before. It was too deep to see the bottom of it.

"What are we going to do about this?" The sponge asked, indicating the seemingly bottomless pit.

"Hmm... aha! I've got it!" Mr. Krabs exclaimed. "We'll put a huge sign in front of it, and charge people to visit the hole! It'll be called 'The Bikini Bottom Crater!' Only 10 bucks per person! I'll be swimming in money!" SpongeBob smiled.

_"Good ol' Mr. Krabs,"_ he thought to himself. _"Always searching for a way to earn more money..."_

**_The End_**

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**There you have it! Afterwards, SpongeBob and Patrick fixed their homes along with the rest of the Bikini Bottomites. Mr. Krabs did indeed gain a boatload of money from "The Bikini Bottom Crater" idea, while Plankton stayed trapped in the cavern with the cave dwellers. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read my story, especially to my newest fans! Review, favorite, PM, whatever! Check out my profile for more SpongeBob stories! And just remember: "You're looking, in the presence, OF A WINNER...HA!" (Squidward says this to Mr. Krabs in the episode "Skill Crane.") XD**


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